The more we dig into the scriptures...

...the more we find this idea of community. Today we are looking at men of this small community who were roof crashers. Luke 5:18-19 (NLT2) “Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.” These friends were doing what they were doing because they loved their friend. Philippians 2:3-4 (NKJV) “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” This is key to community - True friends get their friends to Jesus!

1. Roof crashers are desperate to get their friends to Jesus. This can be for salvation, deliverance, or healing but holy desperation is necessary to get people to Jesus. Community recognizes that the only hope people have is Jesus. They are so desperate to get to Jesus that they decide nothing was going to get in their way…not even a crowd or a roof. They were motivated by their love for their friend and their trust that Jesus could do something.

2. Roof crashers break through. When was the last time you determined to break thru for a friend or someone in this community who needed a miracle? Communities pray for one another and we fight for one another. May stay up all night praying. Remember if this man does not have these friends he does not get to Jesus, he doesn’t have his sins forgiven, he doesn’t get healed, and he doesn’t have a break through.

3. Roof crashers are committed to community. This paralyzed man had true friends in their small community. Not people who were just friendly but people who are committed to you in a way acquaintances or paid service providers are not. Urie Bronfenbrenner – A family or community is a group which possess and implements an irrational commitment to the wellbeing of its members. Let’s crash some roofs for each other!

For several weeks now we have been preaching a series…

...I Love My Church…and we have been talking about the whole idea of community. The value or benefit of the local church…of Life Church! Many of you are new today and you are our very special guests. Thank you for coming to this wonderful community of God and this Easter Production. God has something wonderful in mind for you. We have talked about how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have experienced beautiful community for all eternity and how there came a time that we were invited into that glorious community. Jesus, by His coming, His death, His burial, and His resurrection has made it possible for us to be brought into this community…into this wonderful family of God. Not a perfect family…just look around. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus’ purpose was to build His church (this community) and that is what has been happening since Jesus rose from the dead. That brings us back to this community…Life Church. Our purpose has to be His purpose…we want to co-operate with Jesus in building His church. We want to exist as a community of God so that we can invite others into this wonderful family. Thus My Easter Story! Life Church…this community…has a community within this community which is called the Life Church Music Department. This group of believers have a beautiful goal in mind for all the work they have been doing. They want you to have a personal invitation to be in community with Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and the Body of Christ…the local church. Any other purpose is misguided. Back to my original text…Jesus to the Pharisees. John 5:40 (NKJV)  “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

The Pharisees thought there was another way to get into this community or to get eternal life and that was through the scriptures. The scriptures are good, church is good, an Easter program is good but…Jesus said it best…But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. You can come to Life Church, you can come shake my hand, you can read your Bible but until you come to Jesus…you are not in. Listen to Jesus. 

John 10:9-11 (NKJV) “I am the door.” Your Easter Story can start today not because you entered this building, heard a great program, or even heard a short sermon…your story will begin because you come to Jesus. He is the only way. Acts 4:11-12 (NLT2) ^“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” He is the Door to this community of God and He welcomes you to come in today. We welcome you to come to Him today. Be willing to come to Jesus so you can find life and find wonderful community. Let today be the day you can say this is My Easter Story!

Today we are continuing the series I Love My Church...

... and I do love Life Church and the people who have dedicated themselves to this community. This subject has surely stirred my heart and I believe this idea of community is so important especially in these last days. That is actually what the writer of Hebrews was saying.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NCV) “Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds.
You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.” These verses go to the very heart of community.

1. Jesus was in community with the Trinity from the beginning of time. The Father, the Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit have been enjoying beautiful community since before the world began…they are One in everything …love, purpose, unity, mission. There unity has been so wonderful because of how they have all given glory to each other. Dallas Willard “The Trinity is a self-sufficing community of unspeakably magnificent personal beings of boundless love, knowledge, and power.”

2. Jesus was in community with His family. We all know Jesus was born into the family of Joseph and Mary. Imagine having a son or a brother who is the Son of God. He thinks he is so perfect! Well, yes He does because yes He is! Please do not think there were not issues with Jesus in this family community. Remember when He was twelve they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. His parents head home. Not Jesus! After three days they find Him and they are not happy. The Word says something interesting, Luke 2:51 (NKJV)  Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them…Community.

3. Jesus started building community with His disciples…with us. Jesus desire was and is to build His Church through community. Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) ^“ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” God’s community is built like God’s Kingdom, one soul at a time. Jesus is building the church and He is building a community that can withstand whatever Satan throws at us. Greater is He Who is in us!

As we have preached this series on I Love My Church...

…many things have stood out. The North American Porcupine dancing seemed to get a lot of attention. He is a cool dancer. I truly believe the thing that has resonated the most about this community of God has been found in these verses:  Hebrews 10:21-25 (NCV) “And since we have a great priest over God’s house, let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have confessed, because we can trust God to do what he promised. Let us think about each other and help each other to show love and do good deeds. You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming. 

We asked this question: Why we should be faithful to this community of believers…this local church as we look at these verses in Hebrews:

A. Jesus, the great High Priest is here and He is over God’s House. He is present every service.

B. God’s house is a place where we can draw near to God and let Him cleanse us. 

C. God’s house is where we can receive teaching and preaching that will help us hold firmly to our faith.

D. God’s house is a place where we can help each other and show the love of Christ.

           Think about this…what if someone comes to church hurting? It happens every service. If you were here you could give them a hug, pray with them, or give them an encouraging word. It is not all about us. I received this note: Single Parent “Hi Pastor Rick, I just wanna thank you for always having open arms, to give my kids a hug means the world to them. I appreciate your kindness and always giving my children a giggle, you’re not only their pastor, you’re their friend.” Many of the people who come on Sundays and on Wednesday nights need someone to show love. I can’t reach them all, but as a community we can. We can’t love anyone or reach them if we are not here.

E. When we are faithful to God’s house, this community, we can encourage each other especially knowing Jesus’ return (the Day of the Lord) is so soon. 

Here’s the verse we need to be obedient to until Jesus comes: Hebrews 10:25 (NCV) “You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should meet together and encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the Day coming.”

Luke 5:18-19 (NLT2)...

...“Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus.” As we continue this series on the powerful power of community, we see in this story a paralyzed man who does not have much going for himself. But he has friends…he has the fellowship of the mat…he has community with this small group of men. Someone had to feed him, carry him, clothe him, roll him over so he wouldn’t get bed sores, clean him when he soiled himself. He will never know the sense of independence we prize so much.

This paralyzed man has friends…he has amazing friends. This is the killer small group of all time. This whole story takes place because of his friends. Without his friends he never makes it to Jesus, never gets healed, and never gets forgiven. All this happened because years ago he decided to have friends. Choosing to be in community. These guys placed value in being friends and being a part of community. Psychologist Alan McGinnis “Assign top priority to your relationships. Ironically, we tend to devote massive amounts of time to making money, running errands, and succeeding at our jobs, but we neglect giving our most valued possession ---time---to the experience we were created for: community. This story illustrates how much we need each other.”

Community takes time. John Ortberg – “The requirement for true community is chunks of unhurried time. If you think you can fit deep community into the cracks of an overloaded schedule---think again. Wise people do not try to micro-wave friendship, parenting, or marriage. You can’t do community in a hurry.” 

Think about it…you cannot listen in a hurry, you can’t mourn in a hurry with those who mourn, or rejoice in a hurry with those who rejoice. We all have mats. Who carries your mat sometimes? Who do you show your weakness and struggles to? Who do you ask to pray for you? Who do you let see your brokenness in this community? If you want a deep friendship, you can’t always be the strong one. You will sometimes have to let someone else carry your mat. That is what happens with this man in this Bible story. This small group of people becomes friends. They become a community. They have to be formidable and intentional to be friends. John 15:13 (NKJV) “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.”